Tunnel construction.



332mm) MAR, 15,1904

' J. w. RENO. TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9. 1903..

' 3 aunts-4113; 1

no KODBL/ Mnuasszs:

ATTORNEY no. 10mm.

PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904.

J. w. RENO.

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION. urmcumn FILED KOV. 9; 1993. I \f resident of the city, county, and State ofiNew" My invention relates to the construction of UNITED STATES Patented r cmh 15, 1904. I

JESSE W. RENO, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

rmmsr." consrsuc'riou.

FATENT. @FF'ICE. I Y

srncmcanon forming art: Letters Patent No. 754,807, datedmlarch 15, 1904,

Application and Hdvember-Q, 1903. Seth 1K0. 120.350. on was.) M

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JessnWrLronn Reno, a

citizen of the United States of-America, and a York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Tunnel Construction, of which the following is a specification.

tunnels, and has for its object to provide a method and a construction for tunnels especially adapted for the easilycompressible earthsuch as silt, wet sand, and the likefrequently found under the beds of rivers.

My invention consists in providing a tunnelshell preferably of the well-known tvpe in which segmental iron rings are bolted together to form a tunnel-wall, in providingv straight wooden piles beneath the baseof'said tunnel,

in providing.- interlocked transverse concrete blocks resting upon said piles and secured to the tunnel-shell, in providing beams embedded in said blocks, so as to break jointstherewith and in other novel features of the construction.

My invention consists, further, in providing a mechanical process or method by meansof which my construction may be practically carried out. a

The method of constructing atunnel of segmental cast-iron rings is well known and consists. essentially, in driving a circular cuttingshicld into the earth by hydraulic or other means, in excavating the material within the shield, and in placing circular segmental rings behind the shield as it is forced forward. A. partition or bulkhead is placed in the completed tunnel a short distance behind the cut-- ting-shield, and in the compartment thus formed air is maintained at a pressure sufiicicnt to keep the water from entering this working compartment.' Material is-taken in and outof the working compartment through a suitable air-iock in a manner which is well understood. Tunnels of this description are well adapted forcertain situations, especially when they are notof greatsize'and where the ground is comparatively hard or compact and where the traflic through the tunnel is not heavy."

M y present construction, however, is designed for places where the earth through which the tunnel passes is comparatively soft and yieldthe thin shell of the ordinary tunnel construction is not rigid enough to withstand the enormous concentrated weights moving rapidly ing, where the tunnelsiare-larg'e enough to take in the standard cars and locomotives of: the steam-roads, and where the speed of trains willbe very high. Under these conditions over it. Moreover, the vibrations causedby the rapidly moving trains set up a motion in thepa'rticles-of earth which immediately surround the walls of thetun'nelycausing an unstable support for the walls and resulting in cracks and leaks in the tunnel. V In Patent N017 23,307 issued tome March 24, 1903, I describe a method of tunnel construction especially adapted for certain-conditions of soft and easily-compressible ear-thin a which the tunnel-shell was reinforced by a' massive concrete girder joined to its base.

In 11W present invention I also employ a massive concrete girder joined to the base of the tun'nel, but constructed in a diflerent manner and by a difierent method, and I employ" Q in addition a foundation of piles, preferably the ordinary wooden pilesffor thelconcrete girder to rest upon, and I"prpvide a novelmethod for driving the piles in place fi'om within the tunnel. These piles-may be made of sufiicient number and length'to be able to I alone sustain the entire live loads-passing through the tunnel.

I will first describe the tunnel structure and r in its construction. i In the drawingsaccompanyiiug and forming afterward the method and process employed part of this specification, Figure 1 represents.

a longitudinal section through the center of 1 the tunnel, showing at different points thedif ferent stages of construction. Fig. 2 is a. transverse section on line a, a of Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is a partial horizontal section on line b b of Fig. 1 through the hydraulic pile-driver." Fig. 4: is a detailed view ofihe beveled plates.

Fig. 5 is a" partial transverse section of the completed tunnel. Fig. 6 is a partial longi tunnel, showing a modified form. Fig.7 is-a 9'3 tudinal section of the lower portion of the 35 when the blocks are afterward formedthey tion shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and Fig. 9 is a transverse section on line c of Fig. 8.

The reference characters are used in the i same vsense in all of the drawings and the]; specification. Numeral 1 represents the segments, usually 5 made of cast-iron, of which the main portion; ofthe tunnel-shell is composed. These segments are bolted together in the usual manner 1 and when completed'are lined with a wall of i concrete, which is not shown in the drawings, as it forms no part of my present invention. The two lower rows of segments are in the preferred form of mypresent invention re- 5 moved, and the springing-segments 2 of the arch thus formed are anchored or secured by the bolts 3 to the concrete base 4, as shown in Fig. 5. The .concrete base is made up of transverse blocks 5 of a length and width sub stantially equal to the lengthand width, re-

spectively, f the openingformed by the re moval of four segments. These blocks are interlocked by means of'the recesses 6 and tongue 7, and they are also tied or bound to- '5 gether by means of the I-beams 8, which are. of a length substantially equal to the width" of the concrete blocks and are embedded halfwayin one and half-way in the other, so that the joint between adjacent concrete blocks 3 comes substantially in the middle of the beams embedded in those blocks. Before these blocks are formed wooden piles of alength substantially equal. to the diameter of the tunnel are driven down into the earth, so that rest upon and' embed the tops of the piles. These transverse concrete blocks, with the beams which are embedded in them and tie them together, form a practically continuous 4 concrete bed or girder, which restsnpon a number of piles capable of sustaining the entire live load of the tunnel, and they form an efiicient load-distributing member, whereby a concentrated load is distributed over a rela- 5 tivelygreat length.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 6, -7, 8, and 9 special floor-segments are provided. The centers of these segments are provided with openings 10, which are tem- 5o porarily closed by thexcaps 11. These segmerits have peripheral flanges l2, corresponding to the flanges of the regular segments, and these segments are provided with the usual bolts 13,and the caps are provided with notches 14, which register with the heads and nuts of the bolts to permit the caps to be withdrawn without removing the bolts, the caps-being held in place temporarily by means of the blocks or wedges 15. in the completed tunnel, the caps 11 having been previously removed, the flanges 12 are embedded in the con c-rete base 4. It will be seen that by means of this construction a continuous concrete girder is provided, which is securely anchored or E 5 bound to the tunnel-shell and is continuously l firm the lower surface of the concrete.

I will now describe the method by which supported upon the tops of piles embedded my improved tunnel is constructed. 7

The tunnel is driven from a heading by means of a circular shield by the wellknown method; The special fioor-segmentsillns- :ratedin Fig. 1 are provided with beveledfaces'16, which when bolted together form a recess for the reception of the beveled plate -7 5 17. The beveled plates 17 are provided with elongated slots 18 for the reception of a key When the heading has been carried forr-rard a convenient distance, the keys 19 are driven in the elongated slots in a beveled plate, 8c

and the beveled plate thus forced out from between the two segments. By this means the segments are freed and may be easily with drawn. Four segments are preferably removed in this manner, leaving an oblongopen- Eng in the base of the tunnel. Metallic sheeting 20 is then driven down into. the earth at thesides and ends of the opening along the front side of the opening, and preferably wooden sheeting 21 is driven at the sides of 90. the opening, the sheeting 21 at the sides be ing left in place, whil sheeting 20 will be withdrawn after the 0;- .crete has been fixed place and the following four segments have been removed. After the sheeting has been 5 properly driven the earth is excavated to the depth required for the concrete, and. wooden piles, preferably eight in number and placed as indicated in thedrawings, are driven in a.

manner which will be hereinafter described; roo

Forms consisting of the transverse pieces 22 and the longitudinal pieces 23 are secured in place, as shown, for the purpose of holding sheeting in position, the transverse pieces 2:? also serving the purpose of forming the recess or groove 6 in the concrete block which to receive the tongue 7 of the following block. The sheeting 20 is preferably made of szrips of metal plate, and certain of these strips, as 25 and 26, have formed in their adno jacent edges recesses, through which the I- beams 8 may be forced. After the sheetingcss been driven in place and the excavation made, and preferably after the piles are driven, the short sections of- Lbeams 8 are forced for n 5 ha f of their lengths through the openings in tine-sheeting strips '25 and 26 into the earth under the segments in front of the excavation,

indicated in Fig.6, and, as will be ob- V Ficus, it will be necessary to stagger the con-- I20 secntive sections of I-beams to avoid inter-- ference while they are being forced in place. When the excavation has been made,the piles driven, and the I-beams forced in position,

the transverse form 22 in the preceding con- 5 ere-re block 5 is withdrawn from said block,

E other forms 22 and .23 being allowed to ramsin in position, and the concrete is then timiped in the excavation and may be brought np E0 the desired height in the tunnel. 3

. so that it may be tilted in any'direction- In order to force piles of a length suhstantially equal to the diameter of the tunnel, I provide a hydraulic cylinder of a diameter. somewhatgreater than that of the piles to be driven, so that the piles maybe received into T said cylinder, and I provide a hydraulic piston adapted to operate in said cylinder and means for pivoting the cylinder, preferably 1 also provide means for conveniently moving the hydraulic cylinder backward and forward in the tunnel and means for conveying material to and from the heading in such a manner that the work in the heading, and thecnrrying of material back and 'forth may be car- 5 ried on' simultaneously and without interferi once with the operations of forming the con- T crete beds ordrivingthe pile-stheretor. This provision of a method by meansof which two sets of operations maybe carried on simnltsl ncously and withoutinterference with can? other is of the very greatest practical and 900' nomical importance. 5

Two platforms 2? are arranged longitndh 1 nally of the tunnel at substantially the ievei 2 of the center of the tunnel along the sides.

leaving an open space 28 between. These platforms are support-sol upon vertical posts I 29 and horizontal sills 30. Upon these plat- I; forms are arranged tracks 31, adapted to 2 port trucks-of ordinary construction for the transportation of material in and out of the tunnel, and upon the inner edges of the plet- I forms rails 32 are provided for supporting the 7 truck which carries the hydraulic cylinder 33. 3

The truck may be constructed. in any can venient manner which will permit' the proper movements of the hydraulic cylinder. As shown in the drawings, it consists'of the wh 34, the rear axle 35, and the front axle which is arched upward, as shown, to permit the hydraulic cylinder to swing to a horizontal position for the reception of a pile. Mounted on the frontand rear axles are longit-tn members 37, preferably mounted so that t may slide transversely of the truck,and monnted upon these longitudinal members in the bearings 38 is the gimbal-joint 39, havirouter ring *0 and the inner ring 41, to latter the hydraulic tube is rigidly The shaft 41 of the gimbal-joint is p'rov n at its outer end with the wormear se r eat 4:2, which is actuated by the worm 42- nnd hand-wheel 44. Secured to the'uppcr en of the hydraulic tube the frame e5, whee preferably made to clear by a small spa segmental ring of the tunnel-shell. i" 46 ar provided to he inserted between tllllllii nllkll and the form 45, so that the E5. .2- n'el hell may receive the thrust due' to lrvdruulic pres ure within the 'c \'limler. A

pipe l? is connected with the end of the eviindcr and with any convenient source of water under pressure.

position and the pile Y.- 1

c3, lander-are then I).

pres ure appli i with a segmental sh crete he gomed to t? c said concrete bed an 1 tunnel-Snell, drtw When a pile is to o inder it /brought to *mtially-horizontal init. on vertical position le is to be driven. rted between the deli, and hydraulic tz-e cylinder and the 'hen the upper over the point whe: The .blO-Cl-IS are then frame -35 and the tr,"

piles fort-ed into end of the pile has the lower end of th pile may be. inserted; then he brought pile and the pile ffli of the way tothe-g stage of driving the a be accomplished by means of any apps orm of pile-driver, as by a failing weiwnz. as xf'nere is then sentficientworking spawn-2 above the top of the pile for this purpose.

Ha 'ing thus inventiomwshat I claim is I 1. In a tunnel consarvwrL-en, the combination with a cylindrical 5' verse concrete blocks shell.

.eylinder vhich will position over the need down below 'der. :1 short piece of" i a series of transed to the base ofsal'd etirehydraulic-c 5 ne pile and new the remainder r depth, or tins last '2. In a tunnel was? t W? in, the combination with an s ched tn blocks icined to its 3. Zln a tunnel 024151? with an arched t tmnsverse blocks t i. Inatnnnelconsr with an arched tas. v

-. the combination ail, of transverse s, and longitudiextend.-.

5. Instnnnelcen .1 continuous (onisaid shell formed q embedded thered to break joints as driven beneath ing their tops en of transverse blocks- In longitudinal gird between said blocls:

gaging the same- 6. The method of sisting in forming a moving floor-5e nel ffrnSiFEtKiQil t-enntal tunnel -shell.

from Si-i551 the tunnel through the formed, ant. se

curing he tops of tiring finer-92g h the open 1 Said floors-egrel. forzninga eonhereinmethod of con- :nnnels v:

J said piles, and

the openings avail, of transverse &

thus formed, fornnnga load-distri mtingmember upon the tops of said piles and securing 1 said load-distributing member to said tunnel.-

shell.

9. The hereindescribed method of tunnel construction which consists in forming a segmental tunnel-shell, removing floor segments,

providing a hydraulic cylinder-adapted to re ceive a pile, placing a pile in the hydraulic cylinder and applying hydraulic pressure to force said pile down through the openings in the floor of said tunnel. I I

'10. 'I'fhe'herein-described method of constructing a reinforced tunnel which consists in constructing a segmental tunnel-shell, forming temporary openings in the floor off said segmental tunnel-shell; mounting a hydraulic cylinder adapted to receive a pile within said tunnel-shell, placing a pile in said cylinder and providing hydraulic-means for'driving piles from said hydraulic cylinder through:

the openings in the base of said tunnel-shell.

11. The herein-described method of con structing a reinforced tunnel which consists in forming a segmental tunnel-shell. removing segments in the base of said tunnel-shell, providing a tramway within said tunnel and mounting thereon a hydraulic cylinder adapted to receive piles, placing piles in said cylinder, forcing said piles from said hydraulic cylinder through the base of said tunnel, formsegmental tunnel-shell; removing segments from the floor of, said shell, excavating a trench thercbcncath forcing piles down through the openings formed .in the bottom of thetunncl-shell, filling said trench with 4 concrete and securing said concrete to add tunnel-shell. i

13. In a tunnel construction, the comhination of metallic segments provided with trainsvcrse beveled faces, with beveled plat-cs adapt- 4. ed to be received betweensaid beveled-faces, and means for withdrawing said beveled plates to loosen said segments. 2 i

14. In a tunnel construction, the combination with a cylindrical segmental tunnel-shell, 5 of platforms arranged along the sides and at substantially the height of the center of said tunnel-shell, leaving an opening therebetweem and tracks laid upon said platforms. 7

i In testimony whereof I have signed my name 5! to this specification in .the' presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JE'SSE- W, RENO.

Witnesses:

HARRY S. BAxnLi-m, ELLA TUCK. 

